Resources

Lots of resources about different elements of healthy ageing are available on the internet and in print.

Below you can find a selection of key resources, which you can filter, about healthy ageing.

Resources

WHO - World report on ageing and health (2015)

Comprehensive public health action on population ageing is urgently needed. This will require fundamental shifts, not just in the things we do, but in how we think about ageing itself. The World report on ageing and health outlines a framework for action to foster Healthy Ageing built around the new concept of functional ability. Making these investments will have valuable social and economic returns, both in terms of health and wellbeing of older people and in enabling their on-going participation in society.

The Covenant on Demographic Change is the new EU-wide association gathering all local, regional and national authorities, civil society organisations, universities, and businesses, that commit to cooperate and implement evidence-based solutions to support active and healthy ageing as a comprehensive answer to Europe’s demographic challenge. The Covenant builds on the outcomes of the Thematic Network AFE-INNOVNET.

What does the Covenant aim to achieve?

To engage local and regional authorities in developing environments for active and healthy ageing that:

empower people to live healthily, actively and independently for longer,

enhance quality of life and well-being in later age,

conceive public space, transport, housing and local services with the needs of all generations in mind,

lower the pressure put on family carers and on public health and long-term care budgets.

The Covenant has been established as an international non-profit association under Belgian law. It is open to all interested parties that voluntarily commit to making age-friendly environments a reality in their communities and to share their experience with other Covenant members.

The Covenant connects and aligns with existing initiatives such as the World Health Organisation Global Network on Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (GNAFCC) and its affiliated programmes, the WHO-European Healthy Cities Network, the Dublin Declaration on age-friendly cities and communities in Europe and the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP AHA).

The 2015 Ageing Report: Economic and budgetary projections for the 28 EU Member States (2013-2060)

The 2015 Ageing Report sheds light on the economic, budgetary and societal challenges that policy makers will have to face in the future as a result of these trends. The report’s long-term projections provide an indication of the timing and scale of challenges that can be expected so as to inform European policy makers about the scale and timing of the challenges they must face.

Using the right tool to adequately monitor the impact of a wide range of policies is necessary to manage population ageing. This is the purpose of the Active Ageing Index (AAI) - released by AGE Platform - which measures the extent to which older people can realise their full potential in terms of employment, participation in social and cultural life and independent living, as well as the extent to which the environment they live in enables seniors to lead an active life.

Rapid Review of Literature Concerning the Health and Well-being Impacts of Volunteering for Older People

Volunteering in later life can improve physical and mental health, provide an opportunity for personal development, and to build and pass on skills and knowledge (Warburton 2006). The Scottish Government estimates that 30 per cent of people aged 50-59, 26 per cent of those aged 60-74 and 15 per cent of those over 75 give up their time to some kind of voluntary work. The aim of this brief rapid review is to concisely identify the most salient health and well-being impacts of volunteering for older people.

Finish researchers conducted a two-year study on prevention of cognitive impairment. For the intervention group the study intervened with a multidomain approach, including diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring, while the control group received general health advice. The change of cognition was measured and analysed for more than 1200 participants and findings suggest that this kind of intervention could improve or maintain cognitive functioning in at-risk elderly people.

The European Commission has released this new report providing a description of underlying macroeconomic assumptions and methodologies of the age-related expenditure projections for all Member States; covering pensions, health care, long-term care, education and unemployment benefits.

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) - Report: Increasing the value of age in employment

A new Cedefop report draws attention to the mutual benefits to workers and organisations that arise when guidance is integrated in age management strategies. The report offers insights on how to develop guidance activities at the workplace.

Cedefop's report aims to inspire actions and help Member States develop institutional frameworks and incentives to help enterprises devise age management and guidance strategies.

Click here for more information or below for access to the full report.

The report summarizes the overall findings of the 'Study on business and financing models related to ICT and Ageing well'. It brings together the analysis carried out in the case analysis phase (which described in detail the twenty case studies of viable business or financing models) and the replication and scaling up analytical stage (which consisted in the analysis of the replicability and scalability of 5 of the 20 cases).

Findings from the draft version of this report were shared with stakeholders and the European Commission at the TechnolAGE Final Conference, which took place in Brussels on 14 February 2013. This report therefore incorporates contributions and feedback from stakeholders who attended the event.

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